


wanna be yours

by babyiknow



Category: Little Women (2019), Little Women Series - Louisa May Alcott
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:00:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babyiknow/pseuds/babyiknow
Summary: “You can’t keep it a secret for too long, Amy.  One day Marmee is going to see him climbing down the trellis, and you know what? I’m not gonna cover for you.” Beth tilts her chin upwards, and Amy laughs.“Beth, come on! Marmee’s not gonna find out, besides, we aren’t even dating!” She looks at her feet, wiggling her toes in her socks.  Beth shakes her head.“And why’s that? I know it’s not that you don’t want to, and I definitely know that Laurie wants to, so tell me, why aren’t you two dating?” Beth’s eyes seem to stare right into her soul, and Amy shifts uncomfortably.aka a little women modern au
Relationships: Friedrich Bhaer/Josephine March, Theodore Laurence/Amy March
Comments: 17
Kudos: 243





	1. Chapter 1

“Fuck- Laurie, Laurie- shhh!” Amy stops moving, her eyes flaring wide. She sits up, forcing Laurie up as well, and they hold their breath as the heavy creak of footsteps advance towards the door.   
“Get up! Get up! Go, Laurie- in the closet!” Amy pulls her sweatshirt down from where it’s bunched up past her stomach.   
“Okay! Okay! I’m going!” She watches with bated breath as Laurie tiptoes towards the open door of her wardrobe, and it shuts just as Marmee turns the knob.   
“Amy? Were you talking to someone? I heard voices.” Her blonde head peers through the open door, and she steps fully onto the carpeted floor.   
“Oh, yeah, um, I was just facetiming Flo!” Amy holds up her phone, and pulls her Calc worksheet off the nightstand. “These derivatives- they stump me!” She laughs nervously. Marmee smiles, and Amy lets out a small sigh of relief.   
“Well, if I were any help, I’d let you know! I’ll leave you to work, you gonna be ready for dinner in a half-hour?” Marmee glances at the clock, hung centered over Amy’s desk.   
“Yeah, mom, thanks. I’ll be down soon enough.” She scrubs a hand over her face when the door closes.   
“Laurie? You can come out now.” She giggles, once the footsteps reach the top of the staircase. He creeps out of the closet, a wicked grin crawling across his cheeks.  
“Yeah, yeah- next time we won’t be so lucky, so soak it in, Theo.” He wrinkles his nose at the nickname, falling atop the duvet next to her.   
“What are we gonna do before dinner?” He teases, a look of mock confusion painted across his face. Amy drops the worksheet on the carpet, throwing a leg over the dark haired boy. His breath hitches, before he lets it out slowly, his expression melting into a softer one, and he smooths his palms over the tan skin of her thighs until they meet the hemline of her shorts. She drags a hand through his hair, tipping his head back.   
“Amy,” he mumbles, as she leans in, her lips brushing his throat. His voice is low, raspy, and Amy traces kisses up to his cheek, smiling as she slants down to press their mouths together. He hums into the kiss, which soon morphs into a groan when she rolls her hips downwards into his own.   
“Jesus, Amy,” She pulls away, opening her eyes slightly, and his hips stutter at the way they flash at him darkly through her lashes. Her fingers graze lightly under the hem of his t-shirt, and she trails her fingernails over the hollow of his abdomen.   
“How are you so good at this?” He asks breathlessly, and she sits up, pushing his shirt further up his chest.   
“The trick is,” She flattens her hands over his stomach. “Not to think too much about it, just- well, do what comes naturally.” She shrugs, and Laurie admires the casual way her golden hair tumbles over the shoulders of her sweatshirt. He’s thankful, once again, to know he’s the one who gets to see her like this- loose, comfortable, with her hair down from its usual style, in a sweatshirt and shorts, and he takes a moment to appreciate the wonder of Amy March.  
“Stop staring at me, Jesus.” She pushes his chin to the side softly, her fingers lingering on his jaw. He grabs her wrist, bringing her knuckles to his lips.   
“Laurie, come on! Enough of the romance!” She turns her head away, giggling, but he can tell by the gleeful glint in her eyes that she likes it.   
Of course, her mother finds the most opportune time to ruin the moment.  
“Amy! Come down for dinner!” The blonde groans, dropping her head against Laurie’s chest, and he laughs, raking a nimble hand through her hair.   
“Amy, babe, come on,” Her body goes limp, and he holds her head up to make her look at him. Amy’s cheeks smush in his hands, and she wrinkles her eyebrows, pouting.   
“You have to go to dinner, Ames.” He grins at her, and presses a kiss to the center of her forehead.   
“Yeah, yeah, I heard the first time. You good to get out the normal way? Or will you stay and wait for me until after?” She cuts her eyes at him, mock-seductively, and Laurie deflates a bit.   
“I have to climb down tonight?” He looks solemnly over the trellis under Amy’s window, and she pats his cheek sympathetically.   
“Laurie, we’ve gone over this. If Marmee doesn’t know you’re here, you gotta climb down. You’re fine!”   
“I know, I know.” He sulks, turning to walk towards the window. “Kiss goodbye?” He turns back around hopefully, and Amy rolls her eyes.   
“Fine.” She frames his face carefully with her hands, and leans in. He sinks into her kiss, a short, chaste brush of her lips, and pulls her closer by the waist.   
“See you tomorrow?” Laurie asks, grinning loosely at the small blonde.   
“Sure, I’m not busy. Maybe you could join us for dinner? Marmee has been longing to fill some seats at the dinner table since Meg moved out and Jo left for the school year. We’re having turkey burgers.”Amy pulls a face, and crosses her arms, tapping the toe of his shoe with her socked foot.   
“Sounds amazing. I’ll be there at, what, seven?”   
“Perfect. But you know what this means, don’t you?” She frowns, and he tilts his head.  
“What?”   
“No making out.” Laurie opens his mouth to protest, but she holds a finger against it. “No buts! If Marmee knows you're here, we can’t be all gross with the chance of her walking in. Got it?” He sulks, biting at her finger.   
“I know. But once again, I don’t see why we can’t just tell her about us!” Laurie’s eyes are pleading, and he leans against the wall next to her open window.   
“I’ve told you- Marmee wouldn’t be happy! She wanted you to be with Jo, and you know how Jo would feel about us,” He rolls his eyes, “And,” She narrows her eyes at his expression. “And, father would throw a fit. He thinks you’re too old for me, anyways.” Laurie scoffs at this.   
“It’s literally only three years, it’s not like you’re sixteen! Jesus, this family!” Amy pushes his shoulder playfully.   
“Hey, it’s my family. And it’s yours, too.” Laurie’s lips pull up on the side, and Amy grins.   
“Come on, come on- you know it’s true- say it! We’re your familyyyy. Yes we are, yes,”   
“Fine! My family. You’re insufferable, you know that?” He tweaks her nose, and she bats his hand away, giggling.   
“I’m perfectly aware, thank you. Now, leave before my mother comes to drag me down by the ear!” She turns toward the door, her hand on the knob.   
“Bye, Amy.” He throws a leg over the windowsill, and she looks over her shoulder.  
“Bye, Laurie.” 

Beth gives her a knowing look when she sees her in the hallway.   
“You can’t keep it a secret for too long, Amy. One day Marmee is going to see him climbing down the trellis, and you know what? I’m not gonna cover for you.” Beth tilts her chin upwards, and Amy laughs.   
“Beth, come on! Marmee’s not gonna find out, besides, we aren’t even dating!” She looks at her feet, wiggling her toes in her socks. Beth shakes her head.  
“And why’s that? I know it’s not that you don’t want to, and I definitely know that Laurie wants to, so tell me, why aren’t you two dating?” Beth’s eyes seem to stare right into her soul, and Amy shifts uncomfortably.   
“Because! Marmee would be upset, and Jo would be upset, and you know father would be upset, so why deal with all that? Laurie and I don’t need labels, we’re perfectly secure!” Beth scoffs, and Amy’s head snaps up.  
“What?”   
“Oh, nothing. I just wouldn’t want Laurie to think that you two aren’t exclusive. Without ‘labels’, boys tend to stray a bit. Just warning you.” Beth hops down the stairs at this, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. Amy worries her lip with her teeth. Laurie wouldn’t ‘stray’. Laurie’s not like most boys, he knows not to- God, what was she saying?  
“What the fuck, Beth.” She mumbles, and tumbles down the staircase to the dining room. 

“Marmee?” Her mother looks up, still chewing, and nods for Amy to continue.   
“Could Laurie come over for dinner tomorrow night? He hasn’t been over in a while.” Beth snorts into her water, and Amy steps on her foot under the table.   
“Oh, sure! That’d be fun, wouldn’t it, Beth? We haven’t seen him since the end of August!” She holds a bent finger over her mouth, nodding excitedly.   
“Oh yeah, I sure haven’t seen him in a long time.” Beth’s voice is monotone, and Amy glares at her from behind her glass.   
“So yes?” Amy asks brightly.  
“Of course! Do you think he’ll like turkey burgers?”


	2. Chapter 2

“So, Laurie, what have you been up to these days? How’s  _ Harvard _ ?” Laurie grins, and Amy brushes her hand over his knee under the table. She can’t help but feel a burst of pride over the way his eyes light up when talking about school, and especially his major. He looks down at her, his smile softening, and Beth clears her throat. 

“Yeah, Laurie, got any lawsuits yet? Any Legally Blonde action? How many murders have you solved?” Beth teases, grinning raunchily across the table. 

“Depends, Elizabeth, got any clients to _ therapize  _ yet? Or was that just for the girl I introduced you to? Sarah, remember her?” He snickers when Beth blushes, and Marmee looks between the both of them like a ping-pong match. 

“What girl? Beth, you didn’t tell me about a  _ girl! _ ” Amy’s mother folds her hands under her chin dreamily, and the redhead looks down into her lap, embarrassed. 

“Oh, Laurie, you’ve done it now,” Amy warns, and Laurie just beams back at her. She knows he enjoys this, the goofy family gossip and teasing, something he doesn’t receive much of at home, as generous and kind as Mr. Laurence is. Amy knows his story, told brokenly over months of long, midnight conversations, filled with teary eyes and salty kisses. She’s been there for each of his meltdowns, each of his bad days, she knows how he longs for a mother, a sister, a  _ lover _ , and it makes her heart fill with light every time Marmee treats him as her own son. 

“School is going great, Mrs. March,” He says, to take the attention from Beth, who glares at him playfully.

“ _ Marmee.”  _ She amends, and he nods. 

“School is going great,  _ Marmee _ , and grandfather says if I keep my grades up, and get a 300 on the bar exam, he can get me started at the firm,  _ or _ most any firm, soon after college! And I know it’s a ways away-” 

“Only three years!” Marmee interjects, and Laurie snaps his fingers in agreement.

“Exactly! And you can never be too prepared, so I’ve decided to cover my bases, especially now that I’ve decided I really want to be a lawyer.” He beams proudly, and Marmee places her hand over Laurie’s, warm and comforting. 

“Well, if I may say, Theodore, I’m very proud of how far you’ve come since high school, and I want you to know that it’s been such a privilege to have my girls grow up with such a good role model in their lives. I know Josephine misses you  _ dearly _ at Colombia, have you two talked recently?” Amy rolls her eyes, and Laurie squeezes her hand where it lies in her lap. She squeezes back, three times, and her shoulders relax. The awkward scrape of forks against plates silences as her mother waits for a response. 

“Yeah, um, we text nearly every day. Did she tell you about her new TA, Friedrich? She’s constantly talking my ear off about him.” Amy grins up at him, and he runs a thumb over her knuckles. 

“Oh- no, she hasn’t. I’m surprised, Jo doesn’t have many friends at Colombia, but I guess it figures that the one friend she does pick up has to be just as much of an intellectual as she is!” Marmee chuckles, and takes a bite of her salad. 

“Have you gotten a new roommate yet?” Beth asks, and Amy shakes her head almost imperceptibly. Her mind, unwillingly, takes her back to the last time she visited campus, her back against the dorm room door, Laurie’s warm hands on her thighs and hot breath on her neck. She shifts slightly in her chair.

“Uh, no, actually, I switched to a single, since John moved out. I figured that I would skip all the hassle of acclimating to a new roommate. I got lucky with John, but most of my peers are pretty no-nonsense.” 

“Oh, well I’m surprised! Amy, you hadn’t told me since you’ve been to visit!” Amy blushes under the eyes of her mother, and shrugs. 

“It never came up!” She squeaks, and takes a big bite of her turkey burger to avoid further questioning. 

“Yeah, and we were hardly in my dorm room for the majority of the visit, I was mostly just showing Amy around campus.” This was hardly true, and the slight, almost invisible flush near Laurie’s ears gives him away to Amy. She feels his fingers twitch in her own. 

“And how is campus? Not a lot of outdoorsy time anymore, huh? With the cold weather and all?” Amy leans her cheek on her fist, watching Laurie launch into an impassioned speech about campus life, and smiles. 

Laurie’s car smells the same each time Amy’s in it, like his cologne, a soft, gentle, musky scent, mixed with pine, like the trees outside of her house. It’s always warm, because Laurie always starts it ahead of time, and taps Amy’s seat warmer twice to make sure the leather doesn’t freeze her skin. 

She loves his car, loves the way it feels to drive with their hands tied over the gearshift, the way it sounds to listen to Laurie’s soft voice hum along to her playlist in the speakers, the way her back feels pressed against the steering wheel, Laurie’s hands on her hips and his lips on her own. 

“That went well.” He states, later, on a drive along a starlit road, and she nods.

“Well, Marmee loves you, she always has. I just wish she didn’t have to bring up Jo every time you’re over. Like, it’s not even the fact that we’re-  _ us _ , but it’s the fact that Jo has expressed interest in  _ other people _ , and Marmee just refuses to acknowledge it!” Amy rubs her forehead, and Laurie pulls to a stop in front of her house, suddenly home again. He turns toward her, prying her hand from over her eyes, and he brushes an eyelash off her cheek. 

“It’s frustrating, I know. I don’t like it either, but look!  _ We _ know about us, okay?” He tugs at the end of her hair, pulled over one shoulder haphazardly. She looks up, meeting his eyes.

“ _ We _ know about us, and that’s enough. And Marmee will eventually see that me and Jo’s relationship won’t move past a healthy friendship, and she’ll accept that.”

Amy nods distractedly, as Beth’s words invade her mind again.  _ Without ‘labels’, boys tend to stray a bit.  _

“Laurie?” She demands, and his brown eyes fall on hers.

“Amy?” He replies, and his expression turns concerned as her silence extends. 

“What is it?” 

“Are we- are we  _ together?”  _ Laurie tilts his head, confused, and she swallows, squaring her shoulders.

“Like- are we exclusive? Am I the only girl you’re seeing?” Laurie opens his mouth to speak, but Amy barrels on.

“Because I know there are a lot of amazing girls at Harvard- smart, beautiful, interesting girls, and I know we agreed to no labels, but-” Laurie cuts her off with a kiss, an airy, messy kiss that leaves her cheeks puffed and she never even notices the moisture on her face until she tastes it, salty, on Laurie’s lips. 

“Amy,” Laurie murmurs as he pulls back, his eyes low-lidded and insistent. “There’s no one else.” 

“But-”

“ _ No one _ .” 

“So- oh,  _ God,  _ I can’t believe I’m asking this, but-  _ what are we?”  _ She shakes her head, tucking her hair behind her ear, and Laurie smiles.

“What do you want us to be, Ames?” Her breath hitches, as her red-rimmed eyes meet his own, desperately.

“I want to be _ together _ , Laurie. I want to be your  _ girlfriend _ , I want to be exclusive, I want to be with  _ you. _ ” Her voice is low, insistent, and she looks up at him. 

“ _ Jesus _ , Amy, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that.” He crashes their lips together, and she slides seamlessly over the armrest, landing solidly in Laurie’s lap. 

“I mean-” 

“I think I’m-” They both start in between kisses. Amy’s breathless smile lights up her face, all dimples and pearly white teeth. She leans back in.

“ _ Me too _ .” She murmurs against his lips. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, guys, come on guys-  _ listen _ . We’ve only got twenty minutes left in class, and then we’ll be done, okay?” Amy’s teacher calls above the chatter, and Amy taps her pen against her lips, looking at the blue-ballpoint portrait on the graph paper. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” Flo. The blonde peers around her shoulders, and normally, Amy would roll her eyes at her cousin’s question, but instead she smiles smugly. 

“Yes, yes it is.” Flo’s eyes flare wide, and Amy admires the sapphire tone around her pupils. 

“You made it official?” The blonde squeals, and squeezes Amy’s shoulders excitedly. Amy is the only March sister who really keeps in contact with their cousin, the other sisters finding her quite ‘loud’ and ‘annoying’, but Amy likes the attention, often finding Flo to be more uplifting in her chatter than gossipy, or mocking, as many of Meg and Jo’s friends can be. 

“We did, in fact. Two weeks ago, to be exact.” 

“ _ And you didn’t tell me?”  _ Flo gasps, faking a wound to the heart. Amy giggles, and looks down at her notebook, the blue ink shining back at her with an image of a laughing Laurie, shaded as if he were out on a dark night, illuminated by moonlight. 

“It’s really good, Amy.” Flo affirms, voice close to Amy’s ear. 

“Thanks, Flo.” She runs her finger over the drawn nose lovingly. 

“Are you excited for Christmas?” Flo’s subject change catches Amy off guard, and she blanches for a moment. 

“Oh! Yes, I’m excited. Excited not to have to get up at six every morning, God.” Amy rolls her eyes, adding a strand of hair over Laurie’s forehead. 

“You know, you  _ could  _ wake up at a decent time like the rest of us if you didn’t insist on performing your million-step beauty routine  _ every single day. _ ”

“Flo- do  _ not  _ shame me for caring about my appearance, unlike all these other primates.” She turns her nose up at a football player, Fred, a dusty-blonde, six-foot boy whose basketball shorts are so long they could probably be considered capris. 

Flo snorts, covering her mouth with her hand. “You’re right.” 

“As I usually am, thank you.” The teacher’s voice raises, and the girls quiet, returning to their respective notebooks. 

“Guys- really. The side chatter has  _ got to go!”  _

“Amy, darling, would you vacuum upstairs for me? Your sisters will be here any moment, and I want their rooms to be comfortable for them when they do!” Amy nods, and Marmee strokes her ponytail lovingly when she retrieves the vacuum out of the front closet. 

“Thank you, dear. And you texted Laurie- to invite him and his grandfather to Christmas supper? Your father will be home, as well!” Amy grins happily. 

“Yeah- I told Laurie to come at six, is that-”

“Perfect, Amy, thank you.” Amy nods, and lugs the vacuum up the carpeted stairs, wincing at each thud. She plugs her earbuds in at the top, searching for an outlet. 

A pair of arms wrap around her waist, and Amy shrieks, dropping the handle of the vacuum cleaner, and ripping her earbuds out in a swift movement. 

“Jo! Jesus Christ, you scared the  _ shit  _ out of me!” She shoves her earbuds in her pocket, and lays a hand over her heart, eyeing her sister shrewdly. 

“Such a  _ drama  _ queen! Come here, give me a hug, I haven’t seen you in forever, God.” Jo grins, holding her long, skinny arms in front of her, and Amy gives in, smiling. She never really, completely longs for Jo when she’s gone, despite their often correspondence through texts, calls, and skype sessions, it’s always when her sisters come home, situating themselves in her life again, that she feels their absence more than ever. 

“I  _ missed  _ you.” Amy murmurs into her collarbone, prominent and warm under her red turtleneck. 

“I missed you more.” Jo kisses the top of her head, giving her a final squeeze. “Did you vacuum my room?” Amy nods, picking the vacuum cleaner off of the floor. She unplugs it, wrapping the long yellow cord around the handle. 

“Yeah, mom asked me to. I just finished up here, want help with your bags?” Amy looks over her sister, chestnut hair tousled, scarf wrapped haphazardly around her throat. A brown, scuffed leather bag hangs from her left shoulder. 

“Uh, yes, thank you. For the vacuuming, too. The rest of my bags are downstairs, there’s only like, two, I think, the r-” 

“Red ones, yeah, I’ll grab them.” Jo nods, and Amy heaves the vacuum down the steps again, stowing it in the front closet. 

“Amy, will you bring these up to Jo’s room?” Marmee gestures to the red suitcase and duffle bag set, tossed in front of the couch. 

“That was the plan, yes.” She pushes the handle down into the suitcase, pulling the bags over her shoulders. 

“So when is Meg getting here? Has she texted you at all?” Beth asks, shoving her socked feet under the quilt on Jo’s bed. Meg’s own bed across the room is empty, the lilac duvet pulled tight around the mattress, like untouched snow. It stays that way, usually, over winter break, ever since Meg and John married they’ve opted to stay together in the guest room. Unless, of course Marmee allows the obligatory sleepover that the girls have with Laurie, where they stay up until the early hours of the morning, talking, laughing, playing Cards Against Humanity, Beth being the reigning champion for almost five years now. In these sleepovers, Jo and Laurie sleep in the older girls’ room, which Amy has always been jealous of, kept up by their boisterous laughter, quieting to snickers the later the night goes on. 

“I called her earlier on the train, she seemed to be pretty distracted. I’m guessing she’ll get here in about an hour.” Jo responds, pulling a pair of woolen socks over her leggings. 

“So…” Amy starts, when Jo climbs on the bed, cozying up next to Beth under the covers. 

“So?” She nudges Amy’s leg with her foot, and Amy smirks at her. 

“Laurie was just telling us about a certain TA of yours, what was his name? Frederick?” Amy teases, and Jo blushes, turning her chin upwards. 

“His name is  _ Friedrich. _ He’s a friend.” 

“Yeah, Marmee was very insistent on  _ that _ part.” Beth raises her eyebrows. 

“Oh god, what does Marmee have to say about it? I’m sure she just  _ had  _ to reassure Teddy that we were ‘just friends’! Sometimes I wonder what she would do if we  _ were _ …  _ romantically involved _ .” She punctuates the last part with a wave of her wrist, as if brushing the words out of the air in front of her. “Not that we are.” She tacks on, and Amy scoffs. 

“If you  _ like him _ , you  _ like him _ . It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. God, the stigma around  _ feelings _ with you two. It’s almost as if it were a  _ taboo _ !” Amy fiddles with a small silver ring around her thumb, the one Laurie gave to her last year, on her birthday. 

“Woah, Amy, where did that come from?” Jo blinks at her, but Beth’s eyes cut knowingly at Amy, and she clears her throat, shaking her head. 

“I just- it’s  _ okay _ to have feelings and say what they are, you shouldn’t have to keep it a secret just because it can be embarrassing. It shouldn’t  _ be  _ embarrassing. Everyone has feelings.” Her lips close tightly around the words, and she can barely lift her head to meet Jo’s eyes without fearing that everything she’s bottled up for the past months will come spilling out of her mouth like a fizzing soda. 

“You’re sounding awfully defensive, Amy.” Beth nods insistently at her, and Jo looks between the two. 

“Okay,  _ what  _ is going on? What is all of this? Am I about to get punked?” She gestures between her younger sisters, and Amy glares at Beth. 

“Amy, come on.” The redhead says quietly. Amy sighs, and turns to Jo, who looks on the verge of explosion. 

“Guys, really, what’s going on?” 

“Well, I was planning to tell Marmee, and you and Meg at the  _ same time _ , preferably with the both of us here, but-” 

“Well you didn’t tell me that!” Beth interjects.

“ _ But _ , I guess it’s fine if I tell you now. It’s really not that big of a deal, and we wanted to tell you guys earlier, but everything was so busy-”

“Spit it out, Amy.” Jo rolls her eyes. 

“Laurie and I are- we’re dating, Jo.” She huffs a long breath, and Jo’s eyes are still expectant when she looks up, like she’s waiting for a punchline. 

“Jo? Hello?” Beth waves a hand in front of the taller girl’s face, and Jo bats it away. 

“Wait, just hold on a second. You and Teddy are in a  _ relationship?  _ Like, romantically?” Amy nods, twisting a loose strand of hair that’s fallen out of her ponytail holder. 

“For how long?” Jo looks slightly intrigued, like a journalist on a story, and slightly disgusted, her nose wrinkling almost as if she’s smelled something iffy. 

“We-uh,  _ got together _ around the end of June, but we just started  _ dating _ , about two weeks ago.” Jo recoils, her nose wrinkling further.

“ _ Jesus,  _ wait, so you two were just, what? Fucking? All summer and now you  _ just made it official? _ Or what?” 

“Jo,  _ no _ , what the hell? We haven’t-” She lowers her voice. “We don’t-we haven’t  _ fucked,  _ God. Not that it’s any of either of you two’s business  _ at all. _ We just didn’t want any labels until we were both sure of what we wanted.” Amy rubs her temples. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. This is just,  _ wow _ , a lot to take in right now. Just give me a minute.” Jo shakes her head, chestnut hair falling over her cheeks. Beth pats her back consolingly. 

“And you knew about this?” Jo asks Beth, not angrily. 

“I didn’t-” Amy starts. 

“-She didn’t tell me. I figured it out.” Beth smirks, smug. 

“How?” Jo draws her knees to her chest. 

“That’s not important.” Amy tips her head towards the ceiling, attempting to salvage her dignity. 

“ _ Gosh _ , how could I notice, what with the hickies-” 

“Gross,” Jo interjects.

“-The hand-holding under the table at dinner, oh, and  _ of course _ , the famous climbing- down-the-trellis-next-to-my window trope.” 

“ _ Ugh _ , how cliche can you two get?” Jo scoffs, jabbing the blonde with her elbow. 

“Um, excuse me, but I’m not the one who wants to  _ get it on  _ with my Lit TA, thank you very much. And at least I’m in a relationship, so there’s that.” She rolls her eyes. 

“ _ God,  _ this  _ conversation _ doesn’t even pass the Bechdel test. Come on, let’s talk about something other than boys. Amy, thank you for telling me, I appreciate it. Now, how are your classes going? Marmee told me about a C in Calculus? How are we gonna fix that?” Amy groans. 

  
  


Meg arrives to a bombardment of hugs, squealing, and laughter, John trailing behind her with the bags, which the sisters each grab off of him to transport to the guest room, near the master bedroom on the first floor. 

“Girls, girls, I’ve missed you too, all of you, so dearly!” Meg tries in vain to wrap her dainty arms around her sisters. Amy, being the shortest, rests her head against Meg’s pale chest, feeling her voice rather than hearing it, and revels in the comfort of Meg’s antiquated, lovely way of speaking, an old soul in a young woman. 

“How was the trip in? Have you two eaten yet?” Marmee takes Meg’s green peacoat and John’s parka. John’s casual clothes always take Amy by surprise, his vibe ever-so granola, with tan skin, khakis, and his  _ god-awful _ Birkenstocks. 

“Oh, no, we haven’t had the time, and you know I get carsick on the train.” Meg flips a ringlet of her silky dark hair over her shoulder, and Amy wants to paint her, pale cheeks rosy and glowy against her purple sweater. 

“Well, that works out perfectly, I’ve just finished with dinner! Jo, would you set the table, and Amy, would you get waters?”

“I can help, Marmee, with dinner, if you need it?” Meg offers, the considerate daughter she is. 

“Nonsense, sweetheart, you two sit down, you’ve been travelling!” She and John slip into their seats at the dining table, making idle conversation with her sisters, and Beth helps Marmee bring out the dishes, steaming appetizingly. 

“It looks delicious, Mrs. March, thank you.” John says after she sits down. She smiles warmly at him, patting his hand. 

“Well, thank you John, you’re very sweet to say that.” She holds out her hands to say grace, and the conversation bursts to life afterwards, happy chatter and the soft din of the radio playing Christmas music filling the room. 

“Are Laurie and his grandfather joining us for Christmas this year?” John asks. “I was sorry to abandon Laurie to the search for a roommate, but I could  _ not _ keep staying in those dorms. As nice as they are. How is he, did he find one alright?” 

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Marmee looks towards Amy, and Amy glances up sheepishly from her plate. 

“Yeah, um,” She swallows a bite of mashed potato. “Laurie’s in a single, now. He didn’t want to deal with having to find another roommate.” Jo snorts into her cup, and Amy shakes her head. 

“Oh, well, I’m sorry to hear that.” John frowns. 

“Oh, no, he seems very happy, John. Don’t feel bad, honey.” Marmee reassures. 

“ _ I bet he’s happy _ .” Jo mumbles, and Amy pinches her leg under the table.

“Ow!” 

“What’s wrong, Jo?” Marmee looks concernedly over at the brunette. 

“Oh,  _ nothing _ , I just, um, bit my tongue!” Amy rolls her eyes. Meg glances suspiciously between the two girls. 

_ Just my luck.  _ Amy thinks, and wipes her mouth with her napkin. “Thanks for dinner, Marmee, it was really good.” She picks up her plate, and brings it to the kitchen. 

In her room, she calls Laurie. He picks up on the second ring, and there’s a smile in his voice when he answers. 

_ “Hello, sister golden hair.”  _ He’s laughing by the end of his greeting, and it makes Amy grin on the other end of the line, pressing the phone to her cheek. 

“Hi, baby.”

_ “What’s up, Ames? Did everyone get home alright?”  _

“Yeah, um, yes! About that, though, I was wondering…”

_ “Wondering what?”  _

“When my dad comes home tomorrow, would you want to, well,  _ do _ you want to tell my family that we’re-  _ um _ , about us?” She hears his sharp breath over the speaker and scrambles for an alternative, nervously twisting her ponytail around her finger. “Or, I mean-”

_ “No, Amy, sorry! Yes, yes, I want to do that. I really want to do that. Yeah, that sounds good.”  _ His voice rings happy, and Amy can taste the smile that lights up his face. 

“Yeah?” She bites her thumbnail, lip curving upwards.

_ “Yeah, Ames, that sounds perfect.”  _ He laughs elatedly.

“Okay, okay, there’s only one thing, and before you get mad at me about this, alright, I was set up.  _ Ambushed. _ ” 

_ “Come on, Ames, I doubt it’s that bad.”  _ Laurie snickers. 

“I told Jo. About us, I told her we’re together.” He pauses. 

_ “How’d she take it?”  _ He’s nervous, and Amy rushes to reassure him. 

“Oh, she was fine. Yeah, she was a little perturbed at first-”

_ “Understandable.”  _

“Yes, but she’s over it now. Or at least she’s doing a good job of pretending she is. Get ready for the dirty jokes, though. She’s gonna be relentless.” Laurie laughs, loud and boisterous. 

_ “Thank you, Amy.”  _ His voice is adorably sincere, and Amy could cry. 

“I want to do this as much as you do, Laurie. I know I’ve been, well,  _ controlling _ , about our status, but I’m ready now. For everyone to know.” 

_ “Amy.”  _

“Laurie.” 

_ “I miss you.”  _

“ _ Alright _ , Laurie, we’ll see each other tomorrow.”

_ “I could come over tonight?”  _ His voice is playful, suggestive, and Amy giggles. 

“No! Laurie, come on, everyone’s here, you could get caught, and I’d  _ really _ like to be able to tell our family about this maturely, not by having to drive you to the hospital after you fall off the trellis and break your arm!” 

_ “Fine, fine, you’re the boss.”  _ He sighs happily. 

“You’re right about that. Goodnight, Laurie.”

_ “Already? Forcing me off the line, I see.”  _

“Hey, not everyone is rich enough to have unlimited data like you, Mr.  _ Privileged _ .” He scoffs.

_ “Amy, you’re at home, you’re not even using data.”  _ Amy giggles in response.

_ “Goodnight, Ames.”  _

“Goodnight, Laurie. Sleep well.”

_ “Sweet dreams.”  _ She presses the  _ end call  _ button, holds the screen against her chest, and closes her eyes, lingering in the calm wave that washes over her when she hears his voice. 


	4. Chapter 4

Beth shakes Amy awake, and the blonde grumbles. “What?” 

“Amy, come help me wrap presents.” The ginger girl pleads, and Amy cracks her left eye open.

“Beth, it’s Christmas Eve. You should have had this done like, last week.” 

“Yeah, yeah, enough judgement. Can you teach me how to curl ribbons?” 

“ _ Fine,  _ just let me get ready.” She heaves herself out of bed, not bothering to straighten the fluffy white duvet cover on her bed. 

Amy takes her time in the bathroom, washing her face with warm water, and decides to be festive with her makeup today. Normally, over break, she keeps her makeup light, just a bit of concealer and mascara, but she always indulges herself on Christmas Eve. She chooses a light, yellow-gold eyeshadow, and it sparkles under the warm light of the bathroom. The brown of her mascara reminds her of the sweater she bought for Laurie’s grandfather, and she worries her lip at the thought of gifts. She went out on a limb this year for some of them, an unusual thing for her. She’s known in her family to give the best gifts, always allotted to her artistic vision. But Amy loves giving gifts, almost as much as she loves receiving gifts.  _ Almost.  _ For Marmee, this year, she bought a couple of Anthropologie candles, knowing her mother’s affinity for the store, as well as a deep violet hair clip, one to match the dress she plans to wear to the Christmas church service. For Meg, a set of picture frames, one of them filled with a photo of a laughing John and Meg, taken candidly at their wedding the past summer. Jo’s gift is a box of her favorite sea-salt toffee chocolates, a bound leather journal, decorated with a tree on the cover, and a (very expensive) bundle of Bexley pens. Amy is always sure to give Jo a gift centered around her talent, still guilty about her childhood mistake of burning pages and pages of Jo’s precious writing. She is often accused of favoring Jo in her gift-giving, always jokingly, but she always blushes in shame when questioned about it. 

For Beth, Amy purchased a laptop bag, a dusty rose color, and a few rainbow stickers, as well as a thick, cable-knit sweater in a light pink, Beth’s favorite color. For her father she framed a drawing of the family, and bought him a leather Bible cover, sturdy and well to travel. 

She’s most worried about Laurie’s present, a new watch, a deep brown, and gold-trimmed, which she purchased on a whim on her trip to the mall with Flo. 

“Does it seem like too much?” She had asked her cousin, after it was wrapped in tissue paper in a bag hanging off her wrist. 

“Amy, come on, he’ll love it.” Flo assured her. 

All of Amy’s gifts were carefully organized under her bed, wrapped neatly with silver paper, a staple in all of her years of gift giving. She enjoys the look of excitement in her family’s eyes when they’re handed a silver gift, they know it’s going to be good. Amy pinches pennies all year, from working weekends at a little ice-cream parlour downtown, and the eleven dollars an hour is almost worth the hideous pink-striped apron she has to wear when working. She shudders to think about it, glancing down over her own pristine blue sweater and skirt combo. 

_ “Amy, you almost ready?”  _ Beth’s voice is muted, exasperated behind the closed door, and Amy caps her eyeliner. 

“ _ Patience,  _ Beth, Jesus. I’m coming.” She zips her makeup bag and slides it in the closet, checking her reflection once more before vanishing off to help her sister. 

  
  


Their father arrives later in the afternoon, and Marmee shrieks and drops her wooden spoon on the counter when his heavy footsteps land in the doorway. The girls race down the stairs to greet him, and he chuckles in delight at the crowd of arms around him. 

“Father, you wouldn’t believe-”

“Father, guess what-” Their voices overlap in an attempt to draw their father’s attention and Marmee hushes them, leading her husband to the couch to sit down. His uniform is rough, unforgiving under Amy’s hand, and she rubs the fabric in between her fingers thoughtfully. 

“As you can tell, we’ve missed you dearly.” Marmee leans her head against his shoulder, and he wraps an arm around the slender blonde. 

“I’ve missed you guys too, very much. Gosh, I can’t wait until I retire. The decorations look amazing! Beth, I bet you helped your mother this year!” Beth blushes with pride, girlishly, and her father squeezes the ginger-haired girl to his side. 

“And Jo, how’re classes going? I bet your professors either love you or they hate you, don’t they?” 

“Same as ever, pops.” She shrugs, but giggles when he tousles her hair. Amy only ever hears Jo giggle with their father. He strokes a large hand down Amy’s curls. 

“And look how you’ve grown, young lady. Just as beautiful as ever.” He pinches her cheek, and Amy just snuggles closer to his calming presence. Meg hugs him, and he smiles proudly at the brunette, and shakes John’s hand.

“Good to see you, Mr. March.” He nods at the younger man. 

“Are those Laurences joining us tonight?” He asks, eyes crinkling with fondness, and Marmee nods. 

“Yes, Mr. Laurence and Laurie are coming for dinner.”

“It’ll be nice to see those two. I haven’t spoken to those guys since the wedding, have I?” He grunts in surprise, scratching his scruffy chin. He seems worn out, and Marmee seems to sense this, patting his shoulder gently. 

“Here, love, how about you get out of this uniform and nap for a bit before it gets too late?” He nods, a serene calm washing over his features as she helps him up from the couch. The crinkles near the corners of his eyes remind Amy of Laurie’s own, and she smiles to herself at the thought. 

“-Ames?”  _ Gosh,  _ even her own nickname reminds her of Laurie, the way his berry-colored lips wrap around the syllable, short and sweet, like a love note all in itself. 

“What’s up?” She turns her head distractedly towards her sisters, where she’s sure the call came from. 

“I was just wondering what you bought Laurie for Christmas?” Jo croons Laurie’s name, and Beth shoots a cautionary glance at the brunette. 

“Laurie? Why Laurie?” Meg interjects, glancing between the two sisters, and Jo’s eyes widen comically, apologies already brimming in her expression. 

“Jo, really?” Amy rolls her eyes, smacking a hand over her forehead. 

“What? What is it?” Meg insists, pale face bright with curiosity, her affinity for gossip never quite having left. 

“-Amy’s gift for Laurie is the same as yours!” Beth cuts Amy off when she starts to answer, her cheeks pinking from the lie. 

“What? Really?” Meg looks taken aback, and she sputters slightly.

“Why? What did you think it was?” Amy responds sharply, and Jo touches her arm to calm her. 

“Oh, well, it’s not really any of my business, I just thought that they were teasing you.” She says sheepishly.

“What would we tease Amy for?” Beth questions in her quiet, gentle way, voice like a bumblebee on the breeze. 

“Nothing, it’s nothing, I thought it was-” She glances apologetically at Amy, “Well you’ve always had a bit of a crush on him, haven’t you?” Amy’s eyes flare wide in shock at her sister’s candor. 

Meg scrambles to amend her accusation, “But of course I wouldn’t know, it’s just that you were always looking so mournfully after him and Jo whenever they would leave you behind?” She cringes, giving up her clueless pretense. “Sorry.” She mumbles. 

“It’s um, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it, Meg. You’re good. It’s just the present thing, though.” Amy mutters. 

“Amy,” Jo calls, but the blonde’s back is turned, hurrying up the steps in a flurry of blue and yellow. 

Nightfall couldn’t come fast enough, in Amy’s opinion, and a wave of relief washes over her when the din of wooden spoons against pots and the cheerful timbre of Michael Bublé’s Christmas album float up the stairs, where she’s facing the wall in her bedroom, pretending to nap. As much as she loves her family, keeping even the smallest secret was like harboring a war criminal in this house. Marmee’s happy-panicky voice that she always gets before a family gathering rings from the kitchen, and Amy sighs, supposing she should get up and help her mother before she decomposes in her blanket-cocoon. 

The space downstairs is ethereal, almost, pumpkin and pine candles burning, placed carefully over the mantle, or on the dining table, and the lights- low and warm, dimmed just enough to give Amy that same giddy-sleepy combination that Christmas is known to give. She pulls her sweater sleeves over her hands, and pads into the kitchen. Marmee is hunched over the stove, and starts slightly when Amy touches her back.

“My goodness, Ame, you scared me!” 

“Sorry Marmee, do you need help? You seem kind of…” 

“Yes, honey, if you could stir this for five minutes while I go and wake your father? And if the oven beeps, will you just pull the tray out and turn the timer off?” Amy nods, taking the wooden spoon from Marmee’s thin hand. “Thank you, baby, I’ll be right back.” She punctuates the sentence with a kiss to Amy’s hair, and vanishes to the bedroom. 

“Oh, Amy, hey, I thought you were napping.” Beth’s voice is soft behind her, and she turns around, tapping the spoon against the pot. 

“Yeah, I woke up and figured I should help with something,” She shrugs, smiling a little. 

“Sorry about everything earlier, talk about awkward.” Beth chuckles. 

“It’s okay, I just wanted to tell everyone together. Looking back now, I should have just told Meg then. I’d rather Laurie be here with me, though.” Beth nods sympathetically, rubbing her back. 

“Well, it’ll all be over tonight, for better or for worse, anyway. That’s something to look forward to?” The timer beeps, silencing Amy’s reply, and she slides the green gingham oven mitts over her manicured nails. Beth reaches over her to turn the timer on it’s side, effectively quieting the noise. Amy looks at the clock, reading 6:50. Ten more minutes. 

Meg answers the door as Marmee sets the last dish on the table, and Amy’s attention is immediately drawn to the dark-haired boy in the doorway, sandwiched in a group hug that Meg forces on him and his grandfather. She watches his eyes search until they land on her, and it’s like a scene from a movie, or poetry, the magnetic pull she feels towards him. 

“I’m so glad you could make it!” Marmee welcomes them inside, after they’re released from the WWE hold that Meg had them in, and everyone takes turns greeting the two, Jo ruffling Laurie’s hair beyond recompense, to which Beth helps him smooth it back down. 

“Amy,” he murmurs softly, when it’s finally her turn to see him, and she looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching, wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him into an embrace that has her sighing aloud. He smiles into her hair, hands splaying over her upper back, her nose smushing into his chest. 

“God, Laurie, you have no idea what I’ve had to deal with just  _ today _ .” She inhales his cologne greedily before they break apart, and Laurie runs a hand down her arm comfortingly. 

“I’m guessing the family reunion hasn’t been all happy-go-lucky?” He asks, and Amy laughs humorlessly. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love them being here, I’ve missed them all so much, but there’s a certain privacy you get used to when half of your family up and moves out of your house, you know?” Laurie grins at her, cheeks dimpling with the stretch. 

“You can always call me, you know, and I’ll pick you up? If it gets… stifling? My dorm’s  _ always open _ .” 

Amy scoffs at the suggestive swing in his voice. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you,  _ loverboy _ ?” Laurie blushes, scratching the hair near his temple. 

“I would, yeah.” He admits. 

“Is everyone ready to eat?” Marmee calls over the chatter, and a rise of yesses sound from the group, migrating to the dining table. Laurie sits between Beth and Amy, and Jo kicks at his feet from across the table. 

Laurie’s hand stays connected with Amy’s underneath the table after they say grace, a long-winded prayer that Marmee pulls out each Christmas, listing their blessings which rarely change, year after year. After the prattle of conversation and laughter dies down, Meg clears her throat nervously, an anxious grin on her pink lips. 

“John and I have an announcement to make,” She continues, once all eyes are on her, “We wanted to wait until everyone was together to tell you all, and especially now that it’s Christmas. The news is- I’m pregnant!” She cuts herself off with a happy breath, John sliding an arm around her shoulder. Marmee laughs gleefully, clapping her hands, and Amy watches her father’s eyes crinkle near the sides. Jo and Beth immediately congratulate Meg, who digs around in her purse for an ultrasound picture, blurry and difficult to make out. “It’s early,” She explains, and after Amy locks her in a tight hug, she tips her head near Laurie’s. 

“Laurie, I know we said-”

“We’ll tell them another time, Ames. It’s okay.” She beams up at the dark haired boy, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles thankfully. He smiles happily down at her, and touches his nose to her hair briefly, while everyone fawns over Meg. 

“Thank you, Laurie.” 

The rest of the evening is a blur, and it’s midnight before anyone notices. 

“Oh, look at the time!” Marmee exclaims after her laughter from one of Jo’s intricate jokes fades. The rest of the room turns their heads, almost comically in tune, to the clock, and Meg yawns as if on cue. 

“It is getting pretty late, Laurie, you’ll be okay to get home if I leave?” Mr. Laurence stands slowly from the large armchair, shaking Father’s hand and gently ruffling Beth’s ginger waves. She giggles, smiling sweetly at the old man. 

“I’ll be okay, grandfather. I’ll be home soon.” Laurie replies, waving at his grandfather. 

“No later than one!” He calls over his shoulder, and with a brush of cold air from the doorway, he’s gone. 

Mr. Laurence’s departure seems to flip a switch within the room, yawns and tapering conversation signifying the end of the night, and Laurie pulls Amy to the side, blinking sleepily. 

“Do you want to take a walk, maybe do Christmas gifts?” His voice is low underneath the hum of music, and Amy nods quickly, her loose hair flickering around her face. 

“I’ll be right back, then we can go.” She disappears up the staircase, returning momentarily with a small silver box, blue ribbon tied over the top. “Let me tell Marmee.” Amy takes her mother’s elbow, whispering in her mother’s ear, and Marmee nods. 

“Will you join us tomorrow morning, sweetheart?” She asks Laurie, “You and your grandfather?” 

“Of course we will, and don’t worry about breakfast, we’ll have something brought over with us.” Amy rolls her eyes playfully at his assurance, because  _ duh _ , the Laurences  _ always  _ come over on Christmas morning, and they  _ always _ have something ‘sent over’ for breakfast, usually brightly colored and extravagant, fancier than any party that the girls have been to. 

“Ready?” She asks him, and he winks, opening the heavy wooden in front of her. The air is sharp, cutting through Amy’s thin sweater, and she shivers, the hair on her arms raising. 

“Are you cold?” Laurie sheds his coat, a thick, expensive fabric that smells faintly like his cologne, and his shampoo near the collar. He slides it over her shoulders, and the sleeves bunch at her wrists, longer than her own arms. 

“Thank you.” She looks up at him, in the white glow of the moon, and his eyes are already locked on hers, liquid and loving, almost black in the dark. 

“I-um, here.” She says, without looking away from his eyes, bumping the small box against Laurie’s knuckles. He laughs, looking down at the gift, and slowly pulls the ribbon off of the box. He puts it in his pocket, and Amy smiles at the gesture. 

He finally sheds the box of the silver paper, and Amy bites her lip in anticipation. 

“Amy, wow, this is-” Laurie cuts himself off, looking back up at Amy. 

“Do you like it?” She asks, and Laurie chuckles, his eyes red in the corners. 

“Like it? Amy, this is- it’s the nicest thing anyone’s given me.” Amy doubts this highly, given Laurie’s riches, and her own lack thereof, but there are tears on Laurie’s cheeks and watery smile on his dark lips, so she doesn’t question him on it. 

“ _ Yeah _ , so,” Laurie sniffs, pulling a long, velvet box out of his pocket, “This is for you.” His eyes scan nervously over her fingers unclasping the box, and Amy gasps when she sees what’s inside. 

“Oh, _ Laurie _ , I love it!” She throws her arms around his shoulders, clasping the box tight in her hand, and his own loop tightly around her waist. She leans back, pressing her cold lips to his, and he responds immediately, breathless and insistent. 

“I’ve wanted to do that all night,” She breathes, and Laurie smiles warmly against her lips.

“You have no idea.” She pulls back further.

“Put it on me?” She places the box gently in Laurie’s hands, and turns, sweeping her blonde ringlets over her shoulder. 

“Of course.” The silver is cold against her skin, but it’s Laurie’s kiss to the back of her neck that makes her shiver. He clasps it, and the locket lays in between her collarbones, opening to a picture of the two of them, younger, about a year earlier, dancing merrily at Meg’s wedding, unknowingly happy smiles lighting their faces, framed with miniscule sapphires. 

“It’s beautiful.” She murmurs, turning back to Laurie, just inches away from his pale, wind-blushed face. 

“Amy, I-” His voice is throaty, emotional, and Amy smooths a thumb over his cheekbone, comforting.

“What, Laurie?” He inhales deeply, and stares longingly into Amy’s emerald eyes. 

“I’m in love with you, Amy, I have been for a while,” He threads a hand through her hair, “And I know it’s quick, and we haven’t told everyone, but I’ve known it ever since we got together, and-” Amy cuts him off, kissing him deeply, her fingers pressing over his chest, dragging down. 

“I love you too,” She gasps, centimeters away from his lips, “So much, Laurie.” She punctuates in between kisses. Laurie laughs, running his thumbs over her jaw. 

“We need to tell them. Soon.” Amy sombers, and Laurie nods, seriously.

“I don’t think we can probably keep sneaking around anymore.” 

“I don’t mind, it makes me nervous when you climb the trellis, anyway.” Laurie squeaks in indignation, and Amy kisses him to stop his argument. 

“Goodnight, Laurie.” Amy whispers, tracing his bottom lip. 

“ _ Amy _ …” Laurie hums, and she smirks against his lips.

“Go- tell your grandfather goodnight for me as well!” She backs up, with a final kiss, chaste and loving. 

“Goodnight, Amy. I love you.” She smiles, turning her back before Laurie sees her blush. 

“ _ I love you too _ .” She calls softly over her shoulder. 

  
  
  


The front lights are still on, confusingly, when Amy arrives back to her own porch, and she startles to see her whole family, crowded around the windows, looking the way that eavesdroppers do- sheepish, and a little defiant. Amy feigns nonchalance, her pride too strong to be the first to let up. 

“Well?” She widens her eyes at the group, and John coughs and looks away, bashfully. They’re silent, until Marmee says quietly, “You and  _ Laurie _ ?” Amy cringes, preparing for the waterworks.

“What about Laurie and I?” She makes weak eye contact with Jo, who looks just about as  _ done _ as Amy feels. 

“Well, you- you’re together? Dating? At least that’s what it  _ looked _ -” 

“ _Yes,_ _okay_ , we’re together! Is that okay?” Amy exclaims, running a palm over her face. 

“Amy, we just want to know why you didn’t say anything, that’s all,” Meg soothes, her mothering instinct already kicking in, and Marmee nods behind her. 

“Listen, Marmee, I  _ know _ you wanted Jo to end up with Laurie, because they’re  _ such good friends,  _ and I know father thinks he’s too old for me, and it just all kind of  _ happened _ , and I didn’t want to upset anyone!” Amy blinks quickly, trying to stop her tears from falling, and Meg sweeps her into a warm hug.

“Oh Amy, nobody is upset with you, darling! This is good news!” Amy closes her eyes, resting her head on Meg’s shoulder, feeling petulant and childish for throwing such a tantrum, much like her younger self would.

“Sweet girl, I would never be upset with you over something as important as love, and I’d be ecstatic if  _ any  _ of my daughters ended up with Laurie.” Marmee wraps her arms around the girls, and the rest of the sisters join, murmuring reassurances into Amy’s hair. 

“Father?” Amy questions, the tall man watching the embrace after they break apart from each other. He shakes his head, and chuckles a bit, looking fondly at the small blonde.

“You’ve grown up, Amy, you deserve to make your own decisions. Besides, he’s a good boy, especially now that he’s settled down into law school.” He finishes with a wink, and Amy laughs, watery and giddy, throwing her arms around her father’s shoulders, and she’s suddenly overcome with a wave of nostalgia, wrapped warmly in her father’s arms, flushed with the low red lights of Christmas. 

“ _ Thank you, father _ .” She mumbles into his sweater. 

Laurie’s lap is warm from where she’s curled up on it, his flannel pajama pants soft under her own matching ones, steel blue and plaid, a matching set gifted to them by Flo, before winter break. She leans her head on his shoulder, and he wraps a long arm around her, blinking sleepily down at her through thick, dark eyelashes. Amy smiles at him, and he grins back, automatically. 

“Oh, yay! A present from  _ Amy _ !” Jo’s voice rings joyfully across the room, where she’s plopped down nearly underneath the Christmas tree, branches weighed down by a truckload of ornaments, gathered over years of elementary school crafts and yearbook pictures. Jo looks up at the blonde excitedly, who watches on with pride when the chestnut-haired writer gasps at the resplendent journal, and the fine, luxurious pens. 

“Amy… this is... _ wow. _ ” Jo’s blue eyes gleam eagerly at the gift. “ _ Thank you. _ ” 

“Well, it’s only fitting that such beautiful writing be written with equally beautiful equipment.” Amy smiles, and Laurie threads a hand through hers. 

The two of them watch everyone open their presents for a while, in a sleepy, warm, blanket cocoon, mumbling reactions or little conversations to one another every so often, mostly just content to just look on in lazy silence. After the majority of gifts have been unwrapped, the discarded paper shoved into trash bags, and the leftover breakfast in tupperware containers in the fridge, Amy stumbles listlessly from the couch, Laurie dragging behind her. 

“ _ Come on _ , we can nap in my room,” She lures, and the dark haired boy moves more quickly after the statement. She pulls him up the stairs, and he topples onto her cushioned duvet before she can even lift it.

“Babe, get up, I gotta-” Laurie yanks her down, pulling the yellow quilt at the end of the bed over the two, and snuggles his face into her shoulder. 

“ _ Jeez _ , you’re like a koala,” Amy mumbles, pressing a candy-cane stained kiss to his temple, and he smiles happily, blissed-out and dozy. He mutters a quick  _ goodnight _ against her collarbone, and she strokes his umber curls, the ceiling fan spinning endlessly above her.

“ _ Merry Christmas, Laurie _ .” She whispers, watching her boyfriend’s eyelashes flutter over his pale skin. She closes her eyes contentedly, letting herself drift of into a  _ much needed  _ nap. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my my third work on Little Women and honestly there's only so much research you can do on how to make your dialogue sound period-typical, so I just said fuck it and made it modern. I've really liked the modern ones I've read before so I'm hoping this lives up to those. Please please please let me know any requests or suggestions for fics in the future because I do in fact have the time, due to my massive tendency to procrastinate my online schoolwork. But yes, please comment any requests you do have because I suck at drawing inspiration from my life rn.


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